Frequency determination and adjustment



July 2, 1935. HHQ) ET N 2,007,145

FREQUENCY DETERMINATION AND ADJUSTMENT Filed June 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 1 I Fiddtb 10 Deaeci'or FEYQEFC.

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H. O. PETERSON FREQUENCY DETERMINATION AND ADJUSTMENT Filed June '5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wink- BMW 'INVENTOR mom 0. PETERSON ATTORNEY tire ,by the application of suitable potentials;

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= My imp oved, avem e an s oc t d Patented July 2, 1935,

iii-U I E AT 2,007,145 7 v FREQUENCY" DETERMINATION AND-N Y ADJUSTMENT; h v ld Olaf Peterson, Riverhcad, iong'l slandi N. Y., assigncr to Radio Corporation-of America, a-corporationo f Delaware I 3 7 Application Ju 5 193Lfsqril N A v p c v 2 Claims, d 9 I .v invention relates to the accurate d fi nation a nd/or adjustmentof the frequency of high frequency alternatingcurrents. 'It is an object'of my invention to provide a wave-meter comprising a sharply tuned. series circuit, preferably in the form of a crystal, for the reason that the crystal may be accurately ground lZOfI'QSDODd to a predetermined frequency, in comloination with an, electron discharge device; biasedto cut-offor rendered non-conduc- Evyplacing the crystal in series with :a. coupling impedance across the input electrodes of; the devic-e atresonance the crystal will act as a series tuned circuitydrawing' an appreciablecurrent, thereby causing current to flow through the electron discharge device in whose output circuit there maybe connected an indicating device in the form of, say, a milliammeter or 'glow tube -whioltrwill give an iaccurateindica-tion of the presence-of energy of a frequency corresponding tor-thatofythe crystal. V. 7 t v Anothernbject of. my presentinvention is to provide a wavemeter arrangement which will indicatethe direction of drift in frequency *of an oscillating :source. 7 L

Still another object, of, my present invention is to, provide forthe automatic adjustment; i

- irequencyofan oscillating source to correspond 430 band .of frequencies-i r r V -;My presentinvention is defined as required by lawin theappended claims. However, it may best be nnderstood both as to its 'structurallorganization and mode of operation by referring .to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figureg lis a wiring diagram of an improved waven1eter according to my present invention coupled to a receiver for indicating whetheror not a transmission stationis operating on a corwith a desired predetermined frequency or a l: illustrates a modification of my improved'wavemeter; V g rzEigure 3 illustrates-an arrangement for automatically maintaining the frequency of oscillating source within desired limits, and, EigL1re iillustrates a wavemeter arrangement wherein the direction of drift of, for example, a transmitten maylhe determined. cirycharge-device. Mg -there is-connected an indicat- Quits-gang spee1'1yiaptimm- 'for instant whether or nota transmitter or oscillating source is operating e its-assigned frequency, and, in .Figure l toestablish the correct operation of a transmitter' I have shown my improved wave meter coupled to the output of a radio frequency amplifier 2 supplied vvithenergy from a suitable receiving antenna ;4, the output-of the radio irequency amplifier being detected by-a' suitable detector :6,, the detected output lbeing fed to [suitableutilization device such as telephones t I r v v v I o-show whether or ,not; the transmitter, not shown, is --operating*on=its assigned wave length, cry l l0. mar-imp oved W v meter, is ound to the, frequency; upon ,WhiCh the;. transmitter should: be gperated. slnigseries with the crystal 'fl. which,..ofac urs may be replac d by a Series t ned circuit; al h u h he cr-y al: ll! is preferred because of its sharper and'more constant characteristic there isconnected a coupling impedance the :form ofr anr inductance coil l2, and the seniesgcombinationacf crystal and coil is con n-ected .in-series with or across the grid and :filament of electrondischarge device 14 biased to teuteofifcr rendered noneconductive by a suitable ,sourcieoi potential, I-Sbetween thegrid and filaymcnthf tube l4.- In theioutput circuit or in ."series withv theoutput electrodes of electron dising device here shown as a milliammeter IS 'in .series rvith:the;;souroe-.of anode or plate poten- IJ..NOW,, if the transmitter is operating at the correctfrequencyicorresponding to that for which crystal lll isig round, crystal It) will act asa'series tuned eircuit causing a large flow of current "through coil' llLx This" in turn will cause high radio frequency potentials to be present across coil iz'asa result of which, on; alternate half to will ncthuild up voltagesin coil l2 sufficient to overcome the biasing potential imparted to the grid by source l6.

To sharpen the resonance characteristic of the crystal and its associated electrodes, the crystal ID, as shown in Figure 2, may have its interelectrode capacity neutralized by using a suitable split impedance or coil l3 connected at one end directly to one electrode of crystal In and at its other end through a variable neutralizing condenser I5 to the other electrode of the crystal.

Connections to the input electrodes or grid and cathode of electron discharge device I4 are made to a point intermediate the ends of coil I3 preferably at a point of zero alternating potential; and, directly to one electrode of crystal III.

In the output circuit of tube I4 there is placed a glow discharge device or tube H in series with the source of plate potential 20. At theresonance frequency of crystal ID or at a harmonic frequency thereof, alternate half cycles of positive potentials applied to the grid of tube l4, will render the tube conductive, as a result of which.

current flow through resistance l9 shunting glow tube I'I will impress a break-down potential across glow tube II thereby causing an indication' when, as indicated, the energy applied to coil I3 is of the correct frequency.

Resistance I9 is not absolutely essential for the reason that action would occur without it since at the times when the grid of tube I4 is rendered positive, the resistance of tube I4 is materially decreased, thereby allowing the application of break-down voltage directly from source -20 tothe glow tube l1.

'- As illustrated in Figure 4, my improved crystal wavemeter circuit may be used as a calibrating device for indicating the frequency of an oscil lating source, for example, a high frequency transmitter. As shown in Figure 4, energy from a high frequency source, not shown, is fed through a coupling coil 30 to the tunable input circuit 32 of detector 34 whose grid is biased by the action of grid leak and condenser arrangement 36. In the output circuit of detector there is an indicating device here shown as ear phones 38. A variable frequency oscillator '40 is adjusted so that its fundamental or a harmonic thereof corresponds in frequency to that of the known frequency of crystal l0 at which time there will be an indication registered by meter I 8. i

'If' the oscillating source is oscillating at its correct frequency or the frequency of crystal Ill,

then there will also be at that time zero beat in the ear phones 38; But, if the oscillating source coupled to coil 30 has drifted in frequency, a sound will be heard in phones 38 and, the amount of this drift may be determined by adjusting the variable frequency oscillator 40 until zero :beat is obtained in ear phones 38; 'The amount of the drift and the direction thereof whether above or-below the frequency of crystal l0 may readily be determined by noting the settings on {the means used to vary the frequency of the variable frequency oscillator 40.

Or, byreplacing ear phones 38 with a frequency meter the amount of frequency drift may vbe determined, and, the setting of the variable frequency oscillator 40 will indicate the direction of the frequency drift.

. My improved wavemeter circuit with modifications maybe used for automatically maintaining the frequency of an oscillating source,'fo r example, a crystal controlled oscillator within devices 42, 44, preferably of the gas-filled, or socalled Thyratron type, there are coupled respectively the crystal 46 having the frequency 11 and crystal 48 having the frequency f: between which it is desired that the crystal controlled source 50 operate. Preferably, the crystals are chosen so as to have overlapping resonance curves.

Neutralizing condensers 41, 49 are provided to neutralize the interelectrode capacities of the crystals 46, 48 respectively. Normal grid bias is obtained by the action of resistors 52, 54 tapped across resistors 56, 58 in turn connected across the secondary 60 of the alternating current supply transformer 62. The transformer also supplies cathode heating energy and anode current for the electron'discharge devices 42, 44.

Now, with a shift in frequency towards the resonance frequency of either of the crystals 46, 48, there will be a corresponding increase in current in the anode resistors or impedances 64, J56, connected respectively to the output electrodes of tubes 42, 44. As a result, a reversible .motor 68 will be operated varying the spacing of the electrode I0 of the frequency controlling crystal 12 by virtue of the worm and gear mech: anism 14 coupled to the reversible motor 63. Consequently, the output of the oscillating apparatus or source 50, controlled by crystal 1!, will be varied so that the energy fed back through the inductive coupling link 16 lies between the frequency f1 and f2 of crystals 46, 48.

In other words, for example, a shift in frequency towards frequency z of crystal 48 will cause a predetermined current flow through resistor 66 as a result of which'the motor will operate varying the spacing of the electrode 13 in the proper direction to bring the frequency of the crystal oscillating apparatus 50 back in frequency towards the direction of frequency 11.

Obviously other frequency adjusting means may be used. For example, rather than vary the spacing of a crystal, variation of capacity may be used to effect a change in frequency of an oscillating source as desired, or, ordinary manual frequency adjusting means may be used, in which case resistors 66, 64 would be replaced or used to supply voltage to indicating devices whereupon manual adjustment of the oscillator would be relied upon to produce oscillations of the correct frequency. The correct frequency would be indicated by like readings or indications on the indicators coupled to impedances 64, 66.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 1 1. A wave meter comprising an electron discharge device having an anode, a cathode, and a grid; means for impressing a negative potential upon said grid whereby said device is biased to cutoff; means, connected to said grid and cathode, whereby potentials having a predetermined frequency cause the application to said grid of positive peaks of potential sufficient to overcome prising a coupling coil and a piezo-electric crystal tuned to said predetermined frequency; and, an indicating device coupled to the output electrodes said cutoff bias whereby current flows through. said electron discharge tube, said means comof said electron discharge device for indicating said current flow.

2. A wave meter comprising an electron discharge device having input and output electrodes; means to bias said electron discharge device to cutoff, means, connected to said input electrodes, whereby potentials having a predetermined frequency cause the application to said input electrodes of potentials of peak values suflicient to overcome said cutoff 'bias whereby current flows through said electron discharge tube, said means comprising a. coupling coil and a piezo-electric crystal tuned to said predetermined frequency; means for neutralizing the filter-electrode capacity of said piezo-electric crystal; and, a glow discharge device connected to the output electrodes of said electron discharge device, said glow discharge device being responsive to current flow through said electron discharge device whereby said glow discharge device glows upon current flow through said electron discharge device. I

HAROLD OLAF PETERSON. 

